The Church and Science

THIS is not what is commonly called a work of reconciliation; it is rather one of delimitation and explanation. Its first object is to present an outline of the attitude of Science to-day towards various problems. physical and biological, and to show how very few of these problems come in any way into contact with dogmatic religion. If some writers were to be believed. there exists and must always exist between the Church and Science so fundamental and inexorable an enmity that it is utterly impossible for any person honestly to serve both. That such is not the case is proved by scores of instances which need not here be insisted upon. Another of the chief objects of this book is to show why this is so, and incidentally to make clear how wide a range for speculation the Church permits even, for example, on such a subject as the interpretation of the first chapter of Genesis. On the other hand, no attempt has been made to minimise tle teachings of the Church, nor is it denied that there are points where her teaching and the theories of certain men of science come into direct conflict. But a further object of the book is to make it clear that these are theories, at present unproved and perhaps insusceptible of convincing proof; that scores and scores of such theories have been put forward and will continue to be put forward; that score) and scores of them have been thrown on the scrapheap of abandoned ideas, whither others will follow them; and that the believer in Christianity may possess his soul in patience, well aware that no theory which is really in opposition to revelation can be true.